New York Knicks owner James Dolan confirmed team great Charles Oakley has been banned from Madison Square Garden indefinitely.

The ban comes after Oakley was forcibly ejected and arrested following an altercation with a group of security guards during the Knicks' loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA on Wednesday.

Dolan was reportedly at the centre of the incident involving Oakley, with the Knicks boss suggesting the 53-year-old former forward had a drinking problem.

"With racial overtones, sexual overtones. Stuff they should never hear," Dolan told The Michael Kay Show on ESPN as he described Oakley's verbal abuse.

"He may have a problem with alcohol. We don't know. I certainly think Charles should be embarrassed. Should we be embarrassed? No, it's sad. The staff at MSG were abused. Don't be embarrassed -- just refuse to be embarrassed.

"It is very clear to us that Charles Oakley came to the Garden with an agenda, with a mission in mind. From the moment he stepped into the garden, from the moment he walked through the doors, he began with this behaviour, abusive behaviour, disrespectful behaviour, stuff you don't want to say on the radio.

"You do those things, you come to the Garden and you behave that way ... you will be ejected and banned. That is the right thing to do. Yes, I understand he was a big star and a Knick, etcetera, but that doesn't excuse people from that kind of behaviour."

Dolan also confirmed senior vice-president of security at Madison Square Garden, Frank Benedetto, had been fired.

"That was just a situation where the person didn't work out and this was probably the last straw. We're obviously looking at everything that we did here along the way and what happened. That's one of the casualties."